Are You Willing to Give Soccer a Chance?

This weekend marked the beginning of a new era in US pop culture. David Beckham has arrived on the west coast and is prepared to bring soccer to the forefront of American sports.

HEY! Stop laughing! I'm being serious here!

The arrival of David Beckham and his "Spice-Wife," Posh, marks soccer's latest attempt to try and sweep us charming Americans off our feet to boost the popularity of the nearly non-existent American life of "fútbol." Unfortunately, all of the other attempts failed and generic sports fans from coast-to-coast are simply not interested. Sports talk radio show hosts have stated that we don't care who David Beckham is because we don't care about soccer!

Allow me to be the voice of reason.

Putting Your Best Foot Forward

Those who have read my stuff before know that I have a firm belief that sports can help our children grow. Something as simple as your daily gym classes in grade school help give you the various motor skills you need to help developing into the capable adults we all claim to be. Sports give us a wide range of variables that help us excel.

For one, it gives you the fuel for your competitive fires to burn on. The sense of teamwork also are instilled in our youth and help us in and out of sports. Another key lesson we learn is the rules and restrictions in any given sport. You are told what you can do, what you can't do and how the rules affect you. You have to dribble the ball in basketball, you have to swing the bat in baseball and you cannot use yours hands in soccer.

Many of the gripes against soccer is that you can't use your hands and most men disagree with this restriction. The use of your feet in soccer and the restrictions of the use of your hands frustrates kids but also teaches you discipline. This characteristic alone can help a kid mature a little faster as he begins understanding boundaries outside the world of sports. Maybe this is why so many mothers become "Soccer Moms" and soccer is one of the most popular youth sports in our country.

Ignoring Greatness

The one person who could've changed soccer in America was Pelé. I never had the privilege of watching Pelé because I simply wasn't alive to do so. Watching clips of Pelé leave me searching for breathe because he just takes it away. His feet are too fast for your eyes to keep up with and his athletic ability is astonishing. Pelé was mostly an international talent who thrived in his native Brazil but later made his way stateside to try and raise America's soccer enthusiasm. Unfortunately, Pelé wasn't around long enough to establish soccer's staying power. However, America and our media have done him an injustice by barely acknowledging his existence.

In 1999, ESPN showcased several athletes in their Sportscentury program that counted down the 50 greatest athletes of our time and eventually expanded to 100. Pelé, who was proclaimed the Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee, was not on the list nor was any other soccer player. Comprising mainly of football, baseball and basketball players, the list also contains two swimmers, two speed skaters, three auto racing drivers and five horses.

Yes, HORSES! I'm not one to criticize the sport of thoroughbred horse racing and I actual enjoy watching the Triple Crown races (I was on the Smarty Jones bandwagon years ago). I do not, however, agree with horses being put into the same category as human beings. Sure, what the horses do is wonderful but they pale in comparison to the feats Pelé performed for sports fans around the world. The only excuse for Pelé not being included is because most of his accomplishments came on foreign soil. But he still belongs in the company of greatness.

And if you choose to ignore Pelé because he spent his prime in South America, there are American soccer players that deserve at least an honorable mention. American "footballers" like Landon Donovan (new teammate of Beckham) and Eric Wynalda are both tied for Team USA's goal scoring record. There is also Michelle Akers, one of the top-scorers in Women's National Team history and helped Team USA win gold in the 1996 Olympics and the 1999 World Cup (you remember that key victory when Brandi Chastain scored the winning goal and ripped her shirt off in celebration). Mia Hamm, a teammate of Akers, holds the Women's National Team record for goals scored and has won two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup Championship. Hamm was the face for Women's soccer and is an ambassador for the game. Someone who is sure to inspire more people than a horse would (no offense Barbaro lovers).

The Savior?

Flashbulbs lit up the Home Depot Center, home of the LA Galaxy, and the crowd noise grew in anticipation of Beckham finally entering the game. Beckham was running and stretching along the sidelines and finally tore off his warm-ups. In the 78th minute, he walked onto the field, or the pitch as it is called, and made his debut for the Galaxy.

Although he entered the match late, it was still close and there was still hope that he could make an impact. Plenty of hype surrounded him as well as they used two views, a regular shot of the match and the "Beckham Cam," to cover the action and not to mention constantly showing his wife so much to the point that Posh ended up figuring out she was being watched and ducked in the latter moments of the match. There was little excitement except for a brief scare when he took a hard tackle and then later he took aim on a corner kick that ended up being the last play of the match. However, the crowd roared everytime he was close to the ball and a part of the action.

After the 1-0 loss to Chelsea, Beckham saluted the crowd for their support and made his way to the media circus that was ready to eat him alive. Is soccer's next step to try to attract new fans going to be a successful one? We question whether this latest step is hope or hype. There is certainly a lot of both floating around with Beckham's arrival. Perhaps attracting more media coverage and more people open to watching a match or two will help soccer's popularity.

I'm willing to give soccer a chance. Are you?

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